Hill District

The Hill District is a historic neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, known for being a center of black life and jazz in the city. The neighborhood's African-American population grew from 10,000 in 1890 to over 37,000 by 1920 during the Great Migration, leading to a housing shortage. Segregation in the city led to the city's blacks being enclosed in the Hill District, and the men were crammed into the limited number of housing units in the neighborhood. From the 1920s to 1950s, the neighborhood was home to several nightclubs, bars, and gambling dens which became centers of black culture, and Pittsburgh reared several jazz musicians. Despite its cultural and economic vibrancy, a substantial area was slated for redevelopment during the mid-1950s, displacing about 8,000 individuals and leading to the neighborhood's dramatic economic decline. In 1956, 1,300 structures were razed, while over 8,000 residents were displaced; both white and black middle-class families moved to the suburbs, leading to the decline of the neighborhood. Because of the loss of jobs and businesses, many residents suffered from poverty, and residents did not have a supermarket for 30 years or a pharmacy for several more. In 2010, The Hill had a population of 10,450, with almost 94% being black and 6% being white; 40% of its residents lived in poverty.